Fishing Report for Southeastern Utah

BENCHES RESERVOIR - The ice is 20 inches thick. Fishing pressure has been light. The best fishing occurs 30 yards south of the dam in 8-10 feet of water. Use a drop sinker with rainbow PowerBait suspended eight inches above the sinker for best results.

BOULGER RESERVOIR - Access is by snow machine or snowshoe only. Ice is 20 inches thick with an 18 inch snow cap. For best results, fish off the dam near the spillway. Try a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple, tipped with a wax worm.

CLEVELAND RESERVOIR - The Huntington-Cleveland Irrigation Company continues to draw water from the reservoir. This will continue until ice-off. Ice conditions are unstable and hazardous. The DWR urges all winter recreationalists to stay off the reservoir until the spring melt!

ELECTRIC LAKE - Best fishing occurs on the dam end of the lake in 16-24 feet of water. Cutthroats are in the 12-16 inch slot. The catch has been good for those fishing 3-4 cranks off the bottom with chartreuse Paddle Bugs, tipped with a nightcrawler or meal worm. The ice is soft on the north end, due to mine water inflow. Use extreme caution. Don't use a snow machine or ATV on the ice.

FAIRVIEW LAKES - Water levels have fluctuated, causing unsafe ice conditions.Fishing has been very slow. The lake may have winter-killed.

HUNTINGTON CREEK - The upper end of the creek is clogged with ice and covered by snow. Best fishing continues to be below the forks. Bait fishermen have been drifting nightcrawlers into the deeper holes. Fly fishing has been fair with a #16 chamois caddis nymph. On warm days, sunlit areas can be fished successfully with a #18 para Adams, Griffiths gnat or blue-winged olive.

HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR - (on the Wasatch Plateau, Sanpete County) The ice is 24 inches thick with as much as 18 inches of snow pack. Bring a snow shovel, power auger and snowshoes. Fishing continues to be slow. Best angling occurs in the early morning with white Gitzits, tipped with a nightcrawler. Tigers are in the 12-15 inch size class. The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout or trout with cutthroat markings.

JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR - Many trout being caught are either below or within the 15-22 inch protected slot. Try spoons and jigs tipped with chub meat or meal worms. For the most part, anglers are catching splake with an occasional cutthroat trout. Large ice buckles have developed in the middle of the reservoir, which could destabilize the ice pack, making conditions unsafe for ice anglers. Special regulations apply. The limit is two trout, only one over 22 inches. All trout between 15-22 inches must be immediately released.

LASAL MOUNTAINS - All LaSal Mountain lakes remain inaccessible. Ken's Lake is open but the water level is low. Conservation Officer Joe Nicholson reports that fishing has been slow, although some anglers have had success with pink or green PowerBait, fished off the bottom. Trout average 8-12 inches.

MILLER FLAT RESERVOIR - Access is by snow machine only. A 2-foot layer of slush covers the ice. Do not take a snow machine or ATV onto the ice pack. Fishing has been fair with Paddle Bugs, tipped with red salmon eggs.

SCOFIELD RESERVOIR - Sergeant Carl Gramlich reports that fishing success has slowed down. Best fishing occurs in the early morning. Justin Hart, Aquatics Biologist, reports that most rainbows are in the 12-14 inch size range. Glow jigs and ice flies, tipped with nightcrawlers or meal worms continue to be the most popular baits. Chartreuse and white are the best colors. Justin advises anglers to move to more remote points on the reservoir for an improved rate of catch. Ice thickness is variable, ranging from 8-20 inches. The icepack is covered by a few inches of snow. Paul Birdsey, Aquatics Program Manager, invites Wasatch Front anglers to Scofield, where the skies are blue and sun is bright. Todd Munford describes fishing as slow to fair. He says the best place to fish is north of the island in 12-15 feet of water. Todd recommends white Gitzits, tipped with a meal worm; or a small Night Glo jig, tipped with a shrimp-flavored salmon egg. He suggests jigging 1-2 cranks off the bottom, and moving the bait in one foot arcs to attract a strike. The fish are schooled and move around the reservoir, so patience is required.